But they all look so real!

By Craig Nakano

Dec. 7, 2006 12 AM PT

ARTIFICIAL. Fake. Faux. Call them what you will, but synthetic Christmas trees are finally getting real -- or closer to it. For decades, most artificial trees were greened up with thin sheets of PVC, polyvinyl chloride cut into paper-like needles. These days, new faux-liage made of injection-molded polyethylene has been arriving in stores and catalogs, complete with natural-looking irregularities in shape and color. The True Noble Fir is winning converts at Stats, despite prices that are double the cost of some older models. “It has become our top seller,” says Damon Stathatos, general manager of the holiday decor emporium in Pasadena. So look below: Can you spot the fakes?

Craig Nakano

ANSWERS: The real trees are 2, 4, 5, 9 and 11, all from the selection of cut and live Christmas trees at Armstrong Garden Center in Glendale. Artificial trees: 1 (from Balsam Hill), 3 (the True Noble Fir from Stats), 6 (from Balsam Hill), 7 (from Target), 8 (from Frontgate) and 10 (from Stats).

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Craig Nakano

Craig Nakano is the assistant managing editor for Entertainment and Arts. He joined The Times as an assistant travel editor, later served as home editor and most recently was the fine arts editor, leading a team whose accolades included a Pulitzer Prize and an Online Journalism Award. A California native, he worked at the Desert Sun of Palm Springs and at the San Francisco Chronicle after graduating from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. He lives in Long Beach with his husband and son.

But they all look so real!

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